Ultima 7 Part 1 - The Black Gate - Sub-Optimal Paths

September 2nd, 2008, 15:06

Corvus Elrod's blog has a piece on sub-optimal paths (what I'll call "taking the scenic route"), using U7 as a prime example. Here's an excerpt:

A great, perhaps even the greatest, example of a game that effectively uses sub-optimal paths for narrative purposes is Ultima VII: The Black Gate (U7). Amusingly, U7 also provides a ridiculously optimal route via a cheat room that was inserted into the game in order to give one of the studio’s speed run competitors an unfair advantage. The cheat room provides the player with all the items needed to complete the game and direct teleporter access to the final confrontation. I highly recommend playing through U7 twice–the first time by using the cheat room and finishing the game in easily under 20 minutes. The second time by following and completing every single possible sub-quest in the game. If you have the time and are so inclined, play through a third time following only the central plot. You can then make up your own mind which makes for a better gameplay experience–the optimal path(s), or the sub-optimal path.

I'm about to embark on another go through of U7. I've fired up Exult a few times, but never gotten deep into it though, so hopefully, this will be different!

I think the author makes good points though. Playing Ultima VI the first time, my brother and I inadvertently stumbled into a way to jump about 2/3 way through the game. We didn't even realize we'd done it. As such, we finished the game rather quickly, but felt very unsatisfied. That may have been a more optimal path, but I enjoyed it much more when I replayed it and resisted the urge to jump ahead.

The whole article could be summed up as, 'what's more entertaining, reading an entire book or skipping to the last page and reading only that.'

If the book is something that you're interested in, then it would make sense that it'd be more entertaining to read the whole book. If the book is something you're disinterested in then it'd make sense you'd be inclined to read only the last page. And in the case where you're unsure whether or not you're interested, then you sorta speed-read.

— If I'm right but there is no wife around to acknowledge it, am I still right?

before, did stealing affect your virtue or avatarness if you got away with it?

you have to remember that Ultima 4 practically invented consequences for moral action in video games and even PnP RPG's.

So I guess my question is, was it implemented but not noticeable or was it it outright borqued?

I wish I could get into U7 now but its just so dated.

Also, this "optimal path" - was it easily accessible or do you have to enter codes and somesuch. In U9, of course, you could get to the teleporters behind your house by building a potion ladder over your fence.

@Lucky Day: sorry, I just don't know. I was an Ultima VII n00b back then and I am one now.

@Corvus: fair enough, though my feeling is that it's the case of a "high" word used in a "low" context, I'm sure you know what I mean :-)

I think the "optimal" way of finishing Tower of Elemental Evil didn't even include visiting most of the temple and just somehow got you to the last encounter from the world map, I don't remember how it went, though.

@Elwro I once made a distinction between "narrative" and "story" in my theoretical writing. Lately, I've decided to cut that out in favor of using fabula where once I once used story, but my instinct stills tosses in narrative where story will often do.

@LuckyDay The cheat room in U7 is available, without codes, in Trinsic, the first city. Follow the steps I illustrated in the screenshots on my post.

Originally Posted by Lucky Day
before, did stealing affect your virtue or avatarness if you got away with it?

you have to remember that Ultima 4 practically invented consequences for moral action in video games and even PnP RPG's.

So I guess my question is, was it implemented but not noticeable or was it it outright borqued?

I wish I could get into U7 now but its just so dated.

BG2 is dated as well, but it didn't take long to suck me back in. You just have to get into the story, and the datedness of the graphics just melts away!

As for the effect of moral choices, I never felt like it was that important in any of the Ultima's besides IV. Maybe I was just playing too good anyway, but I thought I bent the rules fairly often but never seemed to notice much of a consequence.